Bella Donna Tavola by Richard Nardonne

When the slab for this coffee table was cut from a huge English walnut log, there was no mistaking that the dark grain heartwood center suggested the silhouette of the Virgin Mary. The base is constructed of two slanted and arched opposing walnut boards tightly secured via a mortise and tenon brace, fitted by ebony wedges.

Richard Nardone’s direction in furniture design is a channel for exposing the miracle and beauty of the natural world by producing uniquely organic functional art. Efforts to retain the wood’s natural shape after it has been cut and sawn is always the primary focus, consequentially respecting and celebrating its integral character. Customization is at the forefront of his work for both residential and commercial clients with an emphasis on complete sustainability. Each Nardone piece is intrinsically hand crafted employing a blend of Japanese minimalism and architectural innovation ensuring true, one-of-a-kind artisan quality. Traditional hand tooled joinery techniques such as mortise and tenon braces, butterfly inserts, dovetail joints, etc., are commonly practiced. There is an immense amount of personal care and quality control which manifests into the process of every project resulting in timeless heirloom works to last generations. -Richard is the fourth generation of a designer craftsman family. His great grandfather Gerardo was a cabinet maker, known in his small town of Avellino, Italy as the perfezione rigoroso (strict perfectionist).